Sailing is a wonderful sport that many people enjoy well into their adult years.  Sailing became an Olympic sport in 1900, and many people used to believe that sailing was a sport only reserved for those with a yacht club membership.  However, more and more people are picking up the sport.  If your child has not had any previous sailing experience, it would be a good idea to find a sailing summer camp so that your child can learn some basics and get started without investing huge amounts of money without being sure your child will remain interested. 

There are several benefits to sailing, which include improving hand-eye coordination, balance, and greatly improving upper and lower body strength.  Other benefits are hand and finger strength, and the ability to sharpen the quick thinking skills.  Many kids who become heavily involved in sailing become highly interested in the weather so they learn the weather patterns as well as wind patterns.  Many children who enjoy sailing also have high levels of independence and self-esteem. 

Kids who excel in sailing need to have good water skills as well as be able to swim very well.  Children must not be afraid to fall into the water; they must be able to handle the accident without freaking out.  Sailing requires thinking about multiple conditions simultaneously.  Children who enjoy taking risks typically enjoy sailing a lot.  This sport tends to attract people who are very mathematical and analytical. 

The best age to start teaching sailing is typically between the age of 7 and 10 years old.  However, the child should have good swimming skills before ever touching a sailboat so that they will be safer on the water.  A child must also have the ability to listen, follow instructions, and think on their own before starting sailing lessons.  It is also highly recommended that a child under 50 pounds never be on a boat by themselves.  They need to have some good weight to them to help hold the boat down on the water if a large wind breeze catches the boat. 

You should look for a well run sailing school that combines on water and off water training.  You want to look for experienced sailors, preferably who are certified by the U.S. Sailing Association and trained in safety and handling water emergencies.  You do not want your child in a program where there are more than 7 children per 1 instructor.  In addition, you want to look for a program that divides students by ability rather than age in splitting up the class. 

The best beginning types of boats are Sunfish, Optimist, Hobie Cat and Laser, there are small, and typically have only one sail and are much easier for a small child to learn to handle without major difficulties.  You should never allow your child to participate in a program in which the boats are not well maintained, carefully inspect the boats before allowing your child to participate.  Also you want to make sure the sailing program teaches the children how to steer, control the sails, right a boat after capsizing, do proper rigging, sail trimming and how to avoid getting hit on the head by a boom swinging. 

You should also ask if the instructor is in the boat with your child, or do they stay on the dock.  If your child is in the boat without an instructor they should have another child in the boat with them, so they have help until instructors can get to them in case of an emergency. 

Costs associated with sailing can quickly add up to be very expensive.  A small used boat can easily cost $2,000, some public sailing programs will cost $300 or so per class lessons, however if a public program is not available you are likely to have to join a yacht club to get access to a boat and equipment which can be very costly.  If the school does not provide a floatation device then you must purchase one, which can cost up to $50.